Supported by Environment Agency Wales, we dug out some dry meanders and scrapes to create more standing water on the floodplain on two smallholdings on the middle reaches of the Marteg. We diverted a ditch so it ran through one old meander and back through wetland vegetation into the Marteg and also planted some trees to develop into wet woodland.
On a plantation clear-fell site called Bwlch Cefn Llian near St Harmon, we collaborated with Forestry Commission Wales and Environment Agency Wales on a project which aimed to hold more water and create a mosaic wetland habitat on part of the 3ha site. The benefits of this are regulating (slowing) the flow of rainwater into the Marteg, wetting up and helping to build up the peat on site, and of course providing more wetland habitat for wildlife. Volunteers helped the enhancement work once the diggers had been in to do the heavy stuff.
We used big straw bales and 360 diggers to block stretches of the main ditch and to create dams in the stream, supplemented by soil (clay and peat) from nearby. These also had the effect of trapping sediment from the digging work. A bit of spade work afterwards made sure that the dams were overflowing into new areas - the dry ditches and old ploughlines from the former forestry workings. Further small dams were created in January by volunteers to divert the water into more areas - as ever with water, a staged approach was best! Volunteers also planted willow 'sticks' cut from the site to help wet woodland develop in new areas and create more of a mosaic habitat.
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